The Three Laws
by Pondering Fool
Summary: "If I cannot think or feel or know emotion as the rest of you do, what does that make me? Am I not less than human because of it?" The reputation of Isager's family followed him everywhere and infected every aspect of his life. But when Ironwood offers him a fresh start as an exchange student at Beacon, will he come out a better person or lose what little remains of his humanity?
1. Reputation

**Standard disclaimer, I own nothing, RWBY is the property of Roosterteeth/Monty Oum Blah Blah Blah OC, do not steal, blur de blah de blue, let's get this show on the road!**

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><p>"<em>Good Morning, I'm Lisa Lavender. Our top story, relations between the four kingdoms has become increasingly strained over the last few years. Many people have blamed the increasing number of International Criminal Organisations while some have said that a vocal few have taken the leftover tension from the Great War to new extremes."<em>

James Ironwood sat at his desk and drummed his fingers against it in barely restrained frustration. This was supposed to be a time of peace between the kingdoms; they should be co-operating to take down larger threats like the Grimm, not wasting their time on petty infighting.

At least he wasn't alone in this sentiment; his old friend Ozpin was constantly imploring others to consider peaceful alternatives and to nurture good relations. Not even a month ago, the two had agreed to send over exchange students. It would be a small program of course. The problem Ironwood faced however, was finding someone to send over.

Beacon maintained a Schooling system based on teamwork, whoever he sent over would likely be good friends with each other by now. The Atlas school however, used a more individual based curriculum, believing that it was better to teach students to stand on their own two feet. The repercussions of which, meant that he'd be sending someone over alone.

People travelled from all over the continent to go to Beacon Academy. Ironwood's own school had comparatively fewer students and even fewer who could move without uprooting their entire lives to do so.

So there he sat, scrolling through a list of students trying to find someone who wouldn't be much of a fuss to send over. He'd been going through the entire list of attendees, taking note of their personality traits and even talking to a few of them in person and asking if they'd be willing. Sadly, most of them weren't willing to leave their friends behind, often saying that they'd go if he couldn't find anyone else.

"_**Hang on." **_

He stopped at one profile that he hadn't read yet. He'd been putting this one of for a while, since he knew that sending this person over carried certain…risks. But he'd gone through nearly every single other student, asking them _personally _if they'd be interested only to be spurned. He'd honestly accept anyone by this point.

"_Janice? Would you bring Isager to me please."_

"_Full name?"_

"_Isager Isamov Asacc."_

* * *

><p>Reputation was, as far as school and teenagers went, the lifeblood of many a student. It was one's reputation that determined who you hung out with, whether you were treated as a king or a second-class citizen.<p>

So when one's reputation was determined by factors beyond one's control, especially in a negative sense, it was…frustrating. Isager pondered the impact something as little as a family name had on reputation as he walked down the hall, his fellow students gazing at him in fear and stepping out of his way from metres away, mumbling apologies and trying desperately not to make eye contact. Except for one…

Isager recognised him, though he never bothered to learn his name. He was a lumbering, brutish fellow who never looked where he was going and didn't care if he had to shove his way through a crowd. So it came as no surprise to Isager when he bounced off the student who made no effort to move, too busy staring at his feet and shouldered him forcefully out of the way.

"_Hey! Watch i-"_

He cut his scolding short when he made eye contact with Isager. The shorter boy watched with mild annoyance as fear raced through the oafs eyes. Isager's lips twitched in annoyance as he watched him stumble over his words in a futile attempt to take back the rude comment.

"_Oh my God, I'm so, _so _sorry! If I'd known it was you, I wouldn't have said anything!"_

Isager scowled viciously, more out of anger of how much his family's reputation still affected him as opposed to the insult. About how people would use his name as the basis for his entire personality as opposed to actually getting to know him.

"_**Not that I'm good company anyway…"**_

Unfortunately, the other student took his scowl as a sign of a need for revenge and started running away, hurling back pleas to not 'ruin his life' and other such things. What a bother.

"_**No matter."**_

Isager continued to make his way down the hall, heading for the school cafeteria for lunch. Pushing the doors open and ignoring the frightful gazes of his peers, he made his way over to the 'buffet' and spooning on generous servings of whatever looked the least bland and unappetising before making his way over to his preferred spot, pretending not to notice the other students moving away in panic, some even forgetting to take their food with them.

"_**Idiots."**_

Sitting down with a groan, Isager took a Topiramate packet out of his pocket and popped one of the tablets in his mouth before washing it down with as much water he could swallow without choking.

"_Mr. Asaac?"_

"_Janice."_

"_Wait, how do you know my first name?"_

Isager drummed his fingers lazily on the messenger bag containing his laptop. The movement didn't go unnoticed by Janice, who pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed in exasperation.

"_How many times have I told you _not _to hack into the schools database?"_

"_Enough times for me to know something as trivial as your first name apparently."_

"_You know, for someone who hates people judging you based on rumours about your family, you don't do a lot to disprove those rumours."_

Isager shrugged lazily and helped a spoonful of what he assumed was pasta into his mouth.

"_They'll believe the rumours no matter what I do, why bother fighting it?"_

"_But that just makes it a self-fulfilling prophecy, does it not?"_

"_Perhaps…"_

Janice narrowed her eyes dangerously, imagining the celebrations that would ensue if he decided to leave.

"_Whatever. Mr. Ironwood wants to see you."_

* * *

><p>James liked to consider himself a patient man, but watching this news story was wearing him thin. Between the bigots who considered every kingdom other than their own to be a backwards, dystopian hellhole to the fear-mongering media perpetuating and exaggerating the story for the sake of publicity and 'a good story', Ironwood was rapidly loosing all respect for the news.<p>

Hardly a second past after he turned the television off before the door to his office was flung open and a very annoyed Janice forced Isager through the door.

"_He's your problem now." _She said bitterly before slamming the door behind general sighed wearily and approached what was undoubtedly the most hated and feared man on campus.

"_What did you do Isager?"_

"_We had a disagreement over the use of my laptop." _The student said robotically, to the annoyance of Ironwood. Sure, he wasn't the most emotive person in the world by any means, but in Ironwood's office he refused to put any emphasis or tone in any of his words, every sentence was measured and calculated to be neutral and undescriptive; a worrying trait to say the least.

"_You know, it won't kill you to lighten up." _James said a cheerfully as he could.

"_No. But it might be the death of _you _if you keep talking as if we're old friends…" _Isager responded, gazing suspiciously around the room.

"_Calm down, I had the place debugged just yesterday." _He said warmly.

"_I'd rather not take the chance." _However, despite his words, James detected a trace of…fear? Anger? Self-loathing? Whatever it was, it wasn't a positive emotion.

"_Do you know why I brought you here?"_

"_The exchange program to Beacon."_

Ironwood raised an eyebrow in response. Isager couldn't hold the gaze and started staring at his own feet, like a small child being scolded by a parent. It was endearing in an odd way.

"_Some people were talking about it in my robotics class."_

"_Really?"_

"_No, I hacked into the database last week."_

"_Isager…_

"_An hour ago."_

Ironwood turned around and walked over to the window looking out over the city of Atlas, feigning disappointment but in reality trying to hide a smile.

"_Is our curriculum not challenging enough for you?"_

"_I didn't learn anything in my first year that I didn't already know. I've had plenty of time to read ahead."_

"_Then perhaps you'll find Beacon to be a refreshing change of pace."_

The best Isager could offer in response was a tired shrug and continue to stare at his own feet.

"_Listen Isager, you're a good kid." _Isager opened his mouth to protest, but Ironwood wouldn't have any of it.

"_No, trust me, you are. You just have problems showing it, a PR problem if you will. Beacon has a… friendlier atmosphere for someone like you. I can guarantee most people over there won't know anything about your family."_

The general leaned in closely to whisper in Isager's ear. He did have the place debugged, but Isager was right. No point taking chances.

"_And hey, if nothing else, you can get away from your family for awhile."_

Isager's eyes widened at the implications, perhaps a new start was exactly what he needed.

"_Fine, I'll go. When do I leave."_

"_Two weeks from now. You'll have plenty of time to pack your things."_

Isager nodded before leaving the room at a leisurely pace, not wanting to be in the Headmaster's office any longer than he needed to be. Ironwood however, was proud of himself for killing two birds with one stone, so to speak. The general sat down in his armchair with a victorious sigh and took a long drink out of his flask, savouring the taste before his scroll started vibrating in his pocket.

Instantly suspicious, Ironwood pulled the scroll out of his pocket and opened it up, the notification showing him a message from an unidentified number. The general opened the message up and sank into his chair as he read the message.

"_**You just made a grievous error Mr. Ironwood. Nowhere is safe for you now…"**_

"_Your kidding…" _the general muttered before walking out of his office to find his secretary.

"_Janice? Could you get some guys from the security department? I need them to find some bugs."_

"_Didn't you have your office debugged yesterday though?"_

"_Yes. I did." _James said wearily before ducking back into his office and walking over to his window and staring out into the distance, mentally running through a list of contingencies and security upgrades he'd be needing.

"_**This isn't going to end well…"**_


	2. Poor First Impressions

Isager hadn't been known what to expect of Vale. Being a hunter-in-training and a talented hacker had left him with little time to study whatever he deemed to be 'trivial', and other Kingdoms ranked rather low on his priority list due to having little ability to travel to other kingdoms.

However, despite having little to know ideas or expectations for this kingdom, he was surprised at how…chaotic everything was, at least compared to Atlas. Admittedly, airports were hardly an effective way to judge other cultures, but the differences were quite shocking. Atlesean airports were the epitome of functionality over design; no money was spent on decoration, it was laid out to get passengers in and out as fast as possible and the only shops present were for necessities and nothing more.

But here? The obscenely large windows and colourful design, while aesthetically pleasing, served no apparent purpose other than to be nice to look at, the gift shops were beyond counting, selling everything from trinkets to food to works of art and, while he couldn't speak for the airport at large, the whole thing seemed designed to herd passengers through as many stores as possible.

"_Not quite what you were expecting?"_

Isager turned and saw what who he could only be his guide. She was a blonde-haired, bespectacled woman who he assumed would be around middle-aged.

"_Yes, it's…the dissimilarities are more apparent than I thought they'd be."_

"_Culture shock. It'll take some getting used to, but you'll feel comfortable eventually."_

"_Hmm…."_

The blonde woman started to walk towards the security, beckoning for him to follow. Isager walked after her, albeit at a slow pace so he could take in the sights.

"_Moving on, my name is-"_

"_I know who you are Ms. Goodwitch, you don't need to introduce yourself."_

The bespectacled huntress glared at him sharply, though her disapproval was lost on him.

"_So that security breach was you? Ironwood mentioned you were a hacker."_

"_Amongst other things, I'm sure." _The Atlesean said dismissively.

"_You get one warning. Try anything like that again and you'll be on the first flight back to Atlas. Understood?"_

"_Yes, but I'm afraid sleep deprivation caught up with me last week and my attempt was a rather lackadaisical one. If I were to actually try, you wouldn't even know there was a breach in the first place."_

"_I assure you our security department is more competent than that."_

"_No more than the Atlesean Government or the Schnee Dust Company, surely?"_

The two stared at each other for a moment, both of their faces an impassive mask. Eventually, Glynda was the one to break eye contact.

"_Fair point. But I would appreciate it if you showed some respect for our school. We don't want an international incident to break out because of your 'sleep deprivation'."_

"_Your concern is understandable, but rest assured, I got everything I need. I won't need to make a second attempt."_

"_That's not exactly assuring."_

Isager simply shrugged and continued to walk, only stopping to admire a particularly eye-catching work of art from one of the stores.

"_I don't suppose you could tell me what you took? Professor Ozpin asked me to find out."_

"_Nothing sensitive. Just the profiles of the staff and students…and the Wi-Fi password."_

"_Your definition of 'sensitive' differs significantly from mine." _She said, irritation seeping into her voice over his flippant and unconcerned attitude towards the whole issue. Surprisingly, his mouth twitched upward, forming a slight smile.

"_Yes, well, I'd be lying if I said my years as a blackmailer haven't left me with some…questionable ideas about privacy."_

Isager frowned when he checked the price tag, disappointed over his inability to afford it.

"_Speaking of which, how much did the general tell you about me? If you don't mind answering, of course."_

"_I already knew about your family, but the General filled me in on your…circumstances."_

"_And?"_

"_I'm not sure if you're telling the truth, but I'll reserve judgement."_

"_That's reasonable. After all, I haven't made the best of impressions. Well, we'd better hurry along. The plane leaves soon."_

* * *

><p>However, unknown to the bickering duo, they were being watched. Their stalker watched the live-feed he had on the airports security cameras, silently taking note of their interactions.<p>

"_Hmm…"_

He wordlessly reached over to his scroll and dialled in the number he anted. The device only rang once before it was answered.

"_Hello brother."_

"_Sister."_

"_I take it he has arrived."_

"_Indeed, though he seems to have gotten off on the wrong foot with his guide. They'll be leaving for Beacon in about half an hour. Was your assassination successful?"_

'Sister' sighed in frustration.

"_No. We were half way their before Mother Dear sent us a message. She wants him alive."_

"_For what reason?"_

"_She didn't say, although she did send several drone designs with the message. It's likely that she wants them approved before we off the General."_

'Brother' drummed his fingers on his desk in annoyance, worried that their position might me compromised.

"_And how did you resolve this issue?"  
><em>

"_I called Zaffre and he ordered one of the Vale syndicates to take the fall. It was a rushed job though, so it won't hold up to scrutiny."_

"_Does the General suspect?"_

"_The General _always _suspects. But he won't be able to trace it back to us and his hands are tied without evidence."_

"_Good. Inform the rest of us if anything changes."_

"_Understood."_

Both parties disconnected the call, returning to their respective duties.

* * *

><p>Weiss Schnee, Heiress to the largest dust company in the world, Beacon Academy student and the model of what it meant to be an Atlesean citizen. She was ready to become a Huntress, to prove herself to the world and, more then anything, looking forward to enjoying some freedom from her father.<p>

"_Ms. Schnee?"_

"_Yes Gerome?"  
><em>

"_It's a message from your father."_

"_**Calm down Weiss, it's okay. Messages are to be expected. You're the Heiress to the company after all.**_

Weiss accepted the scroll from Gerome and sifted through the inbox, expecting something along the lines of 'you're representing the company, I expect nothing but the best of you'. What she saw made her heart sink into her stomach.

"_**It has come to my attention that an Asacc will be attending Beacon. His name is Isager. I want you to see if you can find any weaknesses in him that could be exploited."**_

Anyone who'd lived in Atlas for a decent amount of time knew of the Asaccs's and their reputation. Of course, those with power had a more…intimate, confrontational relationship with the family, but even they could only do so much. The Schnee Dust Company was one of the few powers in the world that would and could stand up to them and come out on top.

So while her father's interest in him as justified, that didn't mean Weiss had to like it.

"_Gerome, I need you to find someone called Isager."_

"_Understood my lady."_

Her father had been schooling her in the 'art' of political and business intrigue since she was old enough to talk and, as with all things, Weiss was incredibly talented at it. But even then, she'd have to choose her words with exceptional care. People who antagonised the Asacc family tended to go…missing. Regardless of wealth or power.

Luckily though, Weiss had ten minutes to compose herself, far more time then she needed. So when Gerome eventually returned, she was prepared for everything she'd come to expect of an Asacc.

The first thing she noticed was the way he dressed; a white suit and tie over a black shirt. Odd, considering the family's affinity towards the colour black. But that wasn't all that was out of place….

She'd only met an Asacc twice before, but they were tall, dark-haired, pale, well groomed, muscular and impeccably dressed. Frustratingly perfect in every sense of the word, by Atlesean standards at least.

But Isager? His black hair was unkempt and scruffy and the glasses he wore did little to hide the fact that his eyes were sunken and reddened from a lack of sleep. Despite being somewhere around 6'11' if Weiss' estimates were correct, his hunched posture and dangerously thin body made him seem far smaller than he actually was and, finally, the Asacc's she met had a steely, determined look in their eyes, as if they were scrutinising your every move. His eyes by comparison were glazed and disinterested. All things considered, he looked extremely ill and should probably be in hospital.

"_You wanted to see me?"_

"_Yes, I'd like to discuss some things with you."_

Isager narrowed his eyes and straightened his back, but didn't loose the uninterested look.

"_You seem tense."_

Weiss scoffed internally; amused that he would try such a transparent strategy. Mention that the target looks tense, even though there not so that the idea is planted in their mind, tricking them into thinking they were easily readable. It was the oldest trick in the book, figuratively speaking.

"_I assure you I'm perfectly alright."_

"_Well if you say so-BOO!"_

Despite herself, Weiss flinched violently, not so much because she was scared, but because the action was unexpected. She recovered quickly when she heard him chuckling and stared at him in confusion.

"_Ehahaha! Apologies, I couldn't resist the temptation. But back to the business at hand, why do you want to talk to me? Is your father forcing you to?"_

That one however, made Weiss do a legitimate double take.

"_I-I don't know what you mean."_

"_Spare me. I have trouble believing that someone from Atlas would _willingly _converse with me. Besides, it was noted in your psychiatric evaluation that you likely have a poor relationship with your father."_

"_**Wait, what?"**_

"_You read my profile?!"_

"_Calm down. I read everyone else's as well."_

"_I-but-wha-" _the heiress stumbled, to infuriated to form a coherent sentence.

"_Why?!"_

"_So I'd know who to avoid. I came here to _escape _my family, running into anyone who has even a chance of knowing who I am would be…disastrous."_

"_**So he wants to get away from his family."**_

"_Speaking of which, you yourself were at the very top of that list. But then you brought me here, presumably at the behest of your father to do…what, exactly?"_

One technique Weiss' coach taught her was 'false innocence'; to take advantage of the fact that people would see her as a child and pretend to be over her head. It was one of Weiss' better tactics.

"_I…I don't know." _She whimpered, looking downwards and sobbing to mimic tears.

"_I see. Well, I'll be leaving now. I don't want to waste any more of your time." _Isager responded bluntly, completely indifferent to Weiss' apparent breakdown before leaving the room.

"_**Well that didn't work. Honestly, expecting emotion an**_

_**d sympathy from an Asacc? Stupid…"**_

No mater, she'd found something that would hopefully satisfy her father. Regardless of Weiss' opinion on the man, antagonising him would be tantamount to suicide.

"_**I talked to him. He didn't give away much, but I got the impression he doesn't like his family much."**_

Weiss didn't have to wait long for the reply.

"_**Good, we can use that. I want you to do everything in your power to get close to him. He will be a useful tool in ending this conflict between us."**_

It took all of Weiss' restraint to not shatter the scroll right then and there. Even when she was thousands of kilometres away, she was still nothing but a pawn against her father's political and business rivals. She hated the man, she wanted nothing more than to blow him off and tell him that she was done with this constant political 'game'.

"_**But then what? He'll just have me pulled out of Beacon, cut me off or worse."**_

With a tired, defeated sigh. Weiss exited the room and started her search. She scoured the entire ship, eventually finding herself in the main 'lobby' with many other students, but with no success. Se was just about ready to give up when suddenly…

"_Either your father is desperate for an advantage against them…"_

Weiss whirled around and found herself face to face with Isager. Or, more fittingly, face to lower chest.

"_Or he cares about you far less than a parent should. Probably the latter, they don't have that much power over him. Not yet anyway…"_

"_And what makes you say that?"_

Rather than a verbal response, the Asacc simply handed the white-haired girl his scroll. The Schnee accepted cautiously and read the messages on screen, recognising them as the same messages she and her father had recently exchanged.

"_Do you have any concept of privacy?"_

"_No."_

Weiss pinched the bridge of her nose and fought the urge to scream her lungs out at him.

"_Regardless of what my father says, I do believe we would be an effective team."_

The Heiress extended her hand, something more professional would be preferable, but a friendly gesture like a handshake seemed the best way to start this partnership.

"_A generous offer, but I'm a second year. You don't have to tolerate me any more than you want after we leave the ship."_

"_Oh."_

Weiss was about to retract her hand when Isager's own arm shot out and completed the handshake, his grip surprisingly firm despite his frail physique.

"_But I can sympathise with having to tolerate a less than desirable family. Come find me if you need any help."_

"_Quite the offer you're making. How do you know I won't sell you out to my father?"_

"_I don't."_

And with that, Isager released his grip and walked away. Leaving the Heiress alone with her thoughts.


	3. Sleepless Nights

"_**How very…picturesque."**_

Although, truth be told, words truly couldn't describe the beauty of Beacon Academy. To say that it was 'magnificent' or 'grandiose' would be a gross understatement. He could only imagine how Ozpin felt, standing atop a spire that penetrated the clouds, overlooking the entire city of Vale. He must feel like a God at times. Not that Isager would blame the man. After all, he stood in a tower higher than the 'Heavens' running an army that was all that stood between mankind and their destruction at the hands of an ancient evil. That was at least half of the qualifications to be considered divine in one job.

He could only hope that Ozpin was a better person than that. The prospect of Ozpin, or any Headmaster for that matter, suffering from a God Complex was a terrifying thought, let alone the implications that would have on the world.

"_**No matter."**_

It didn't take long for Isager to find the auditorium, easily recalling the schematics of the school grounds. He could only be thankful that Glynda believed him when he said he only took the profiles and Wi-Fi password as opposed to the far less defendable 'everything'. They'd just assume his place in the schools was an extended infiltration and kill him. It's not like it would affect the rest of his family anyway, they almost certainly has some contingency in place that would let them claim plausible deniability no matter what he did.

Isager gingerly pushed the auditorium doors open and found it empty of all but a dozen or so others. The Asacc nodded with satisfaction and took a place near the corners, were he could hide from most of the other students.

* * *

><p>Blake watched the people in the auditorium, taking notes of his physical appearance and characteristics. Her White Fang training subconsciously kicking in as she analysed each of them, if only out of mild curiosity.<p>

However, this newcomer was…different somehow. The sight of him made her itch in the back of her mind, she knew him from _somewhere. _She just couldn't recall the specifics.

Annoyed, the Cat Faunus pulled out her scroll and opened the document appropriately entitled 'Familiar Faces'. If she did know him from somewhere, chances were this list would help her remember.

"_**No. No. No. No-wait...dark hair, pale, tall. He fits the criteria."**_

When she read the title 'Asacc', the memories came flooding back. It was one of her earlier White Fang missions. She and Adam were put on a squad formed to infiltrate the Asacc family mansion. They were infamous for having a blackmail operation that had 'dirt' on everyone worth having information on. The Brass ordered them to break into their database and steal what they had on the Schnee Family, but didn't send many resources, reasoning 'a bunch of hackers and manipulators won't put up much of a fight."

Blake couldn't remember much about how the mission went, nor could Adam. The psychologist lectured them on 'traumatic experiences' and 'repressed memories' but much of it went over Blake's head at the time. What she did remember was screaming. Lots and lots of screaming, as well as the fact that the White Fang went to extreme lengths trying to stay out of their way after that mission.

"_**But what are they doing here?" **_was the question on Blake's mind. Likely something insidious in nature. She came to Beacon to atone for her misdeeds and fight for justice and equality, so what better way to start than on the family that furthers it's goals through ruining other people's lives?

"_**I'll need to watch him closely…"**_

* * *

><p>Isager meanwhile, was passing the time mentally planning out a new hacking script. Most of the ones he used automatically deleted themselves after a certain amount of time, but this time he wanted something more…permanent. Perhaps something that imitated a program or software that no one used. Standard gaming software like solitaire would work on his family, but it was likely he'd have to write several different ones for other people, depending on user data.<p>

Dustnet Explorer was regarded with almost universal scorn by the younger generations, so that might work on them. It was the older and middle-aged people that posed a problem.

"_You will gather in the ballroom tonight; tomorrow, your initiation begins. Be ready. You are dismissed."_

Isager looked up in confusion and noticed that the auditorium, which had filled up completely, was now being emptied of students.

"_**I got lost in my thoughts again…" **_he noted with mild frustration. The Atlesean noticed Ozpin walking towards a different exit to the side. Isager needed to clarify some things with him, so he began walking through the students to catch the Headmaster before he left.

As he made his way through the sea of students, he took note of people's responses. Most mumbled a quiet sorry and continued on their way, a few told him to get out of the way and didn't retract their words at all and a few even asked him if he was okay, presumably talking about his appearance. Despite personal annoyance at the later two, it was still a massive improvement over people going out of their way to avoid him or telling him to 'die in a pit you bastard'.

"_Ozpin!"_

The headmaster turned around and watched the Atlesean approach. Despite his hunched posture, Isager was still a few inches taller than the Headmaster.

"_You must be Isager. It's been awhile since someone made Beacon's security feel so…inadequate." _Isager responded with a shrug.

"_I was essentially raised from my cradle to be good with hacking and technology. I'm the problem, not your security. Anyway, what am I doing for initiation? Do I have a dorm?"_

"_Calm down, one question at a time." _Ozpin said with a slight smile.

"_Anyway, it appears that our systems are having some troubles due to some sort of hacking attempt, I'm sure you know nothing about it. So I'm afraid that you'll be bunking with the first years tonight."_

"_Touché." _Isager said, smirking in amusement.

"_As for initiation? I have a task in mind for you. Something to help you get accustomed to the way we teach here at Beacon."_

"_Hmm…I see. Very well…"_

And with that Isager, walked off, resigned to spending the night with a large group of overly energetic teenagers.

* * *

><p>"<em><strong>I'm beginning to regret my decision…"<strong>_

For more than one reason; the three chaps wrestling in the middle of the room was only a minor problem. The main problem? Isager had been expecting to be sleeping alone in his dorm, and had only packed a pair of shorts as sleep wear. Which, combined with his sickly complexion and emaciated physique, generated no shortage of concern. Pretty much everyone who he walked past asked him if he was anorexic, which a quick scroll search identified as an emotional disorder characterised by obsessive desire to lose weight via not eating. Which didn't really sound right to Isager. It wasn't an obsession; it was a choice he made to get back at his family.

"_**Does that still count?"**_

"_Woah, are you okay?!"_

Isager huffed wearily, but couldn't stay mad for long. How could he? People actually cared about his health for once.

_"Yes, I'm in good health, despite all evidence to the contrary."_

"_Are you sure?" _she asked, her voice full of concern as she poked one of his clearly visible ribs. Isager stared at the girl incredulously. She had long blonde hair and wore an orange tank top and black shorts.

"_I can assure you I'm perfectly fine." _He lied, brushing the girls hands away.

"_Okay…well, my name is Yang, so if you ever wanna talk I'm here for you."_

"_I'll keep that in mind…" _he said before walking off, leaving Yang alone with her friend to talk about 'slumber parties'. Whatever those are…

Setting his sleeping bag down on the floor, Isager unrolled it and slipped into it, lying his head down on his pillow and letting out a satisfied sigh.

"_**I wonder if I'll be able to sleep tonight…"**_

* * *

><p>"<em>She was only trying to be nice!"<em>

"_She's a hazard to my health."_

Blake rolled her eyes in annoyance and blew out the candles next to her. All she wanted to do was read her book in peace and then _this _happened.

"_**And I was really starting to like that Ruby girl to." **_She mused. Looking up, she saw that the others, upon loosing their light source, had walked off and were currently stumbling their way over to their respective sleeping bags. Safe in the assumption that no one would notice, she slipped into her own, facing the wall and continued to read, her Faunus heritage allowing her to read in the dark.

The book was soothing, despite the intriguing murder-mystery and deep philosophical implications on the nature of humanity. She was about to doze off when her enhanced hearing picked up on something.

"_Apparently not…"_

There was some frantic ruffling, and then the sound of feet moving on the hardwood floor. Blake rolled over quietly and saw the Asacc from earlier putting on his pants and shirt.

"_**What's he planning?"**_

He didn't bother with the jacket, tie, socks or shoes however. Once he was done, he started heading towards the exit, stepping around all the sleeping students and opening the door as quietly as humanly possible. Only when he actually left the ballroom did Blake leave the comfort of her sleeping bag and begin following him.

It was easy enough; the Asacc obviously wasn't paying attention and Blake herself was extremely skilled at stealth. She might as well have not being there as far as he was concerned.

"_**Is he heading for the equipment room? Does me mean to sabotage our gear?"**_

Sure enough, they eventually found their way into the locker room where the hunters to be stored their equipment. Suspicion thoroughly aroused, Blake waited for him to get be out of earshot before making a detour to her own locker. The Faunus dialed in her code quickly and, when it opened, wasted no time in retrieving Gambol Shroud.

She ran as silent as the night is dark, catching up to the Asacc in no time flat. Hell, he had only just started dialing in the combination for what she assumed was his own locker. From it he retrieved several objects that she couldn't quiet make out yet. Quickly, she hid herself in a corner of the room behind several lockers. Even if he had night vision, he'd have to be looking for someone to notice her.

He picked up the first one; an orb shaped device. It was as big as his hand and a small button at the top. He pressed the button and Blake watched as the wavy patterns apparently carved into it started to glue light blue before he vanished completely.

"_**Wait, what?"**_

She couldn't see him, but she could hear him mumbling to himself before he reappeared, the orb's glow dimming until it faded entirely.

"_**Invisibility? Interesting…."**_

The next device was also orb shaped, but smaller than the other one. It seemed to be about the size of a grenade and had circles around various points.

"_Human."_

The circles opened up to reveal several 'speakers' that started blaring out a painfully high-pitched noise that made Blake cover her ears in an attempt to relieve the pain.

"_Deactivate!" _he grunted in pain. The sound cut off and the speakers retracted into the orb as soon as the word was finished. He gingerly put the orb down.

"_**Sound-based weaponry? Hmm…"**_

The next one was, rather anticlimactically, a knife. He gave it a few practice swings and finished with a thrust before setting it aside and picking up some sort of headgear.

"_**Hmm."**_

As soon as he donned it, Blake recognised it as a modified gas mask. The filters were still there, but replacing the two glass 'windows' for sight was a single, high-tech cyclopean eye.

"_Mhmm."_

Without him even moving the cyclopean eye switched to a green colour. He cast his gaze across the room, but when his vision passed over Blake's hiding spot he froze and stared. Blake held her breath and forced herself not to move. She theorised that the green represented night vision, but even with that he shouldn't be able to see her.

But then, the colour of the eye changed from green to red and his posture straightened, he picked up what was obviously a heavy pistol from the table and aimed it at the spot Blake was currently hiding in.

"_**I know your there! Show yourself!"**_

With little other choice available, Blake walked out of her hiding place, sheathing Gambol Shroud as to not provoke him. The last thing she needed right now was to start a fight in the middle of the Academy.

"_I'll put down my weapons if you do." _She said gently. He held his aim for a while, but eventually let his arm drop to his side.

"_Very well."_

The two set their weapons on the table and the Asacc followed by removing his helmet.

"_How did you know I was there?"_

"_I thought I saw you with the Night Vision, but I wasn't sure, so I switched to Infrared."_

"_That'll do it." _She quipped.

"_So, I take that since you had your weapons prepared that you know who I am?"_

"_You're an Asacc."_

"_Is that all? Just the last name? Hmm, typical."_

"_Oh? Would you prefer I use a different one?" _the Faunus asked bitterly.

"_Yes, my name is Isager. I'd prefer that you refer to me as such."_

The golden-eyed girl glared at him viciously, but the venom was apparently lost on him.

"_And you are…Blake Belladonna if I remember correctly. Partner to Adam Taurus and White Fa-well, EX White Fang member."_

Blake's eyes widened in surprise, but Isager continued before she could question him.

"_You broke into our base in Atlas. They tend to take notice when things like that happen."_

"_They? What do you mean 'they'?"_

"_I don't 'mean' anything, nor does anything else I say. I have a feeling that your going to be questioning me and when you do, I will offer nothing but the truth. You can make of it what you will."_

_"And your just going to answer whatever questions I asked."_

_"If it'll help you sleep at night? Yes. If it'll get you to stop following me? Even better..."_

Isager sat down on a nearby bench, crossed his legs and rested his chin on his left palm, a bored, unconcerned look on his face.

"_First question?"_

"_What are you doing here?"_

"_Right now or generally speaking?"_

"_Both."  
><em>

Isager looked down on the table at his various gadgets.

"_Well right now I'm checking up on my equipment. What did you think I was doing?"_

Blake shrugged.

"_Hacking into the school's data base, maybe assassinating a staff member. You are an Asacc after all."_

"_If that's the logic we're using, shouldn't you be screaming 'death to humans' in my face? Stealing dust from the storage rooms? Planting bombs?"_

"_Fair point."_

"_No matter, your caution is to be commended."_

Blake gave him a questioning look to which the dark-haired man cocked his head sideways.

"_You didn't know my intentions were non malicious and you know of my families reputation that, for all you know, is completely true. I'd call you foolish if you just let me do whatever I desired."_

"_That doesn't exactly help your case."_

"_What case? Like I said, I'm going to tell you the truth, you can decide what to do with it yourself. As for what I'm doing _here_? Well, the same thing as you I imagine."_

"_And what might that be?" _the Faunus asked, an eyebrow raised in curiosity.

"_Penance, atonement for past misdeeds, to use my skills for a good cause. "_

"_And what brought this on?"_

The white-eyed boy sighed and started ruffling through the messenger bag that he pulled the rest of his gadgets out of and, to Blake's surprise, pulled out a miniature chess set.

"_It's a rather long and boring story. Would you care for a game in the meantime?"_

"_Fine." _She said, sitting down on the opposite side of the table. Isager held two closed fists in the air, presumably with a different coloured pawn in each hand. Blake tapped his left hand, which opened up to reveal a black pawn. Within no time at all, the board was set up.

"_I'll start from the beginning." _He said wearily, moving his leftmost pawn out two spaces.

"_My siblings and I were raised to believe that Humanity and Faunus are ill-equipped to look out for themselves. That ordinary people are too foolish, greedy and short-sighted to properly lead our races, that we were being held back by such weak willed leaders."_

"_Mmm..." _Blake said, moving her right knight out from the back row. Many politicians and leaders did have the annoying tendency to be poorly suited for their jobs.

"_Which is fair enough, but what we were also told was that what our races needed was a 'master race' of sorts. People bred from birth to lead our races, with everyone else having no say in what happened because they weren't wise enough to lead and would just fall into the self-destructive habits."_

"_So you're saying that…"_

"_We were told that concepts like 'freedom' and 'choice' were crippling Man and Faunus kind's potential? That only a certain group of people should be allowed to have power? Yes."_

The chess game was thoroughly underway and already Isager had Blake on the defensive; every move was made instantly and countered every strategy Blake was planning. It was like playing against a computer.

"_And did you believe in that?" _Blake asked, disgusted with the beliefs the Asacc family held.

"_Belief? Heh, you make it sound so simple."_

"_Enlighten me."_

Isager moved his rook all the way across the board and claimed Blake's Bishop, putting her in check.

"_Just like people would never be given a choice in how they were governed, we were never given a choice in what to believe. We were indoctrinated you see. At the age of five, we were all gathered into a room and watched videos that 'Mother Dear' had created herself. It happened over the course of about two weeks and the others have never questioned the philosophy since."_

"_And what makes you different?"_

"_We were all raised with different roles. I was a technology expert and hacker. Even at that age I was more concerned with creating than anything else. While the others were able to put their roles out of mind and watch the videos, I was too busy thinking about ways to improve my various designs. I believed at first, but I started to question over the years."_

Blake noticed that he was playing mostly reflexively, locked into an incredibly aggressive play style. If she could keep him talking, she might me able to lead him into a trap.

"_How so?"_

"_My role as a hacker requires me to spend a lot of time on Dustnet." _He said with a shrug. _"I read countless stories about how the treatment of the Faunus was vile and how they deserved freedom and equity, seen people say that they would rather die than be a slave, about heroes who died in the name of freedom." _

"_So you began to think that freedom wasn't as bad as your mother said it was."_

"_Basically. I worked with my mother closely, so that she could tell me exactly what she wanted designed, ranging from mass-productions to personal items. I brought the subject up when I was sixteen and then that became an argument about philosophy, civil rights and other such things. It was a…violent disagreement. I've been trying to put as much distance between myself and my family ever since."_

It didn't take an expert psychologist to recognise that he was no longer comfortable with the subject.

"_So…care to tell me about these gadgets."_

"_I would, but the technology behind them is rather…esoteric, and I'm not very good at simplifying. My explanations would go completely over your head. No offense."_

"_None taken."_

The trap was almost complete, she just needed to keep him talking a little more.

"_Do you have any more?"_

"_Just one, I left most of the others back at Atlas. However, I doubt that it will be suitable for whatever task Ozpin has in mind for me."_

"_Can I see it?"_

"_Sorry, it's in a storage room somewhere in the school. No amount of disassembling would get it to fit in one of these lockers."_

"_Ah, I see. Anyway, checkmate."_

Isager's eyes narrowed in confusion as he looked at the board. It only took him a second to recognise that he had, in fact, lost.

"_Huh. This is the first game of chess I've ever lost. Well played, I'll have to get you back later."_

"_I'm sure." _Blake said with a slight smile. The Faunus stood up and stretched quickly before heading for the exit, only stopping when it was apparent that Isager wasn't following.

"_Aren't you coming?"  
><em>

"_Insomnia is a terrible thing Ms. Belladonna. The night is better spent doing something productive than staring at a ceiling until the sun rises."_

"_If you say so."_

And with that, Blake left the room, leaving Isager alone to tinker with his equipment.


	4. Bad First Days

The clattering of knifes and forks against plates filled the cafeteria, a chaotic, all-encompassing symphony that irritated Isager's sleep deprived mind.

"_**Insomnia truly is the bane of my existence…" **_he thought bitterly, wishing desperately that he could find some sleeping pills that actually worked. But that was just the beginning of his troubles

His vision was fuzzy and blurry, his head ached severely and he could barely stand up straight. It seemed that he'd been so caught up in adjusting his equipment that he'd forgotten to take his preventative medication for his migraines. The Atlesean stumbled over to the buffet and grabbed an apple as well as a large cup of water and walked over to the only table without anyone sitting on it.

"_This is going to be a long day." _He groaned, putting an aspirin in his mouth and washing it down with water three times in quick succession and taking a large bite out of his apple.

"_Hey, can me and my sister sit here? Everywhere else is taken."_

"_Is that a trick question? _Isager asked incredulously.

"_Ah…what?"  
><em>

"_**Oh, right. Not in Atlas anymore…"**_

"_Apologies, force of habit. You can sit here if you wish."  
><em>

"_Thanks!"_

Isager looked up out of curiosity, wondering who would sit with him. The girl looked far too young to be attending Beacon and wore a black combat skirt, a corset and a red hood. She had somewhat pale skin and silver eyes combined with dark brown hair dyed red at the tips.

"_**Ruby Rose…so this is the prodigy? Interesting…"**_

"_Hey sis! I found a spot!_" she yelled loudly, causing Isager to wince in pain.

"_Coming!"_

"_**Wait, is that…"**_

Sure enough, the blonde from last night, the one who had poked him in the ribs was walking over with a spring in her step. It appeared that the only difference in her attire was a very small leather jacket and some boots, as well as some yellow bracelets.

"_**Please don't recognise me."**_

Her name was…Yang Xiao Long if his migraine addled memory served him correctly. As soon as she sat down, she took one look at Isager's…distinctive features before frowning in concern.

"_Your that guy from last night."_

"_**Oh damn it all!"**_

"_That would be me." _He said, his serene tone at odds with the aggressive yelling inside his mind.

"_You know this guy sis?"_

"_Yeah, he's the guy I told you about, remember?"_

"…_Oh yeah, the anorexic guy."_

Isager massaged the bridge of his nose, frustrated at the days less than ideal start.

"_Sorry for intruding, but shouldn't you be eating right now?"_

Isager held up his apple, a sardonic look on his face.

"_Is that really it? You can't fight Grimm on an empty stomach."_

"_I can assure you I'll be perfectly fine." _Isager responded, the words coming out more hostile than he intended. Yang held up her arms in mock surrender and an annoyed look on her face.

"_Geez, sorry for worrying about your health. What's your problem anyway?"_

"_Migraines. Migraines are my problem right now."_ He said, indicating the bottle of aspirins.

"_Ah, say no more." _Yang said, nodding in understanding. With the annoying breakfast banter out of the way, Isager made quick work of his apple and finished off what little remained of his water. He was about to close his eyes and rest for a minute when his scroll started vibrating in his pocket.

"_**I need you to gather your equipment and meet me at the cliffs overlooking the Emerald Forest."**_

"_Excuse me ladies, I have to get ready now." _Isager said, not bothering to wait for a reply before he stood up and left.

* * *

><p>It didn't take long for everyone else to finish their breakfast and within five minutes; Blake was giving her weapons a last minute sharpening and check up. Once she was satisfied with the results, she sheathed the weapons and started walking out of the locker room, only to bump into a familiar face on the way out.<p>

"_Apologies Ms. Belladonna."_

Isager's voice while wearing the gas mask was far lower and more 'mechanical' than it normally was, sounding almost exactly like an AK-130. It was rather unsettling.

"_No worries."_

He'd switched out of his white suit for the occasion in favour of a set of studded leather armour, died in various greens and browns for camouflage. Over his shoulder was a medium sized duffel bag, presumably carrying all his gadgets.

"_Leather armour huh? Interesting choice…"_

"_I don't have the physique for anything heavier. Besides, I'd rather not sacrifice mobility for the sake of defence."_

"_Fair enough." _The yellow-eyed girl said with a shrug. The two started walking towards the cliffs of the Emerald Forest in silence, though they were both still somewhat suspicious of the other.

"_So what did you do for your initiation?"_

"_What makes you think I've done one?"_

"_I doubt they'd send a first year student over for an exchange program."_

"_A reasonable deduction. Yes, I'm a second year, but I didn't do my initiation with the others. I was…something of a last minute entry, so I did a theory test and fought some Grimm in our auditorium and that was it."_

"_Not exactly applicable when we're being asked to gather near a forest full of Grimm."_

"_No…no it is not."_

* * *

><p>"<em><strong>I wonder what their initiation entails…"<strong>_ Isager thought to himself.

"_**It will be challenging by first year standards, but I doubt they'll throw them into a situation were they can fail with lethal consequences."**_

Isager poured over all the possible variables and possibilities, 'scratching out' the unlikely ones. He spent several minutes in this trance, so thoroughly lost in through that he didn't notice the students been launched off the cliff until Jaune's girlish screams pierced the fog of his mind.

"_**Did I- god damn it…"**_

"_Sorry sir, could you repeat that? I was lost in thought."_

Ozpin gave him an odd look, wondering how he could possibly be lost I thought over the loud 'THUMP' of the launchers. Oh well, a mystery for the ages…

"_The new students are heading into the forest where they will find a temple filled with 'relics'. The pairs will be decided by eye contact and each pair must retrieve a relic."_

"_And where do I come into this?"_

"_You are to stop them from getting killed by Grimm."_

"_Pardon?" _Isager asked, his eyes narrowed in confusion. _"Won't that defeat the purpose of the initiation?"_

"_Let me elaborate, you'll be there to help them if they accidentally draw the attention of a threat that I don't believe they can handle."_

"_And this is how you teach at Beacon?"_

"_Yes, we feign a 'sink or swim' attitude while aiding them from the shadows. It's the hallmark of a good teacher here when if you've done your job right, the students won't be sure if you've done anything at all."_

"_I see…will you contact me by scroll?"_

"_Indeed."_

"_Very well then, I'm ready."_

Isager stood on one of the launching platforms and braced himself, nodding to the Headmaster that he was prepared. The Headmaster pressed a button on his scroll and Isager was sent hurling through the sky.

* * *

><p>"<em><strong>Right, what now?"<strong>_

It was only after Isager was launched that he realised that he had no idea how he was going to land. After all, such a fall would be lethal, even for a hunter-in-training if he couldn't slow down.

"_**Odd, I expected I'd die at the hands of my family. Probably Rocorsa…"**_

The flapping of wings nearby alerted Isager to the presence of a nearby Nevermore. He turned his head to look at it and saw, to his eternal relief, that it was just a young one. Quickly grabbing his pistol, he fired off a shot, drawing the attention of the creature.

"_**Here goes nothing…"**_ the dark-haired boy thought, grabbing the invisibility sphere out of his duffel bag and switching it on. The Nevermore, confused at having lost sight of it's pray, stopped bearing it's talons and tried to fly away. But as soon as it flew over Isager, he grabbed its right leg and hung on for dear life.

The Nevermore, barely more than a babe, was slowly loosing altitude as a result of being weighed down by Isager's armour and gadgets. As soon as the creature was close enough to the treetops that Isager felt confident about his ability to land, he shot the creature's head, the high-calibre bullet piercing the soft underside of its jaw and travelling up through the skull, destroying the Grimm's brain.

"_**If it even has one." **_The Atlesean thought, well aware of the woeful lack of understanding on Grimm physiology, aside from 'shoot the spots without exoskeleton plates'.

With the creature dead, the Asacc released his grip on the Nevermore's leg and descended into the forest bellow, easily breaking his fall with the available tree branches and vines.

* * *

><p>"<em>He's in." <em>Glynda said, having watched Isager's descent and landing. _"Shall we give him a minute to recuperate?"_

"_I'm afraid…that might be out of the question." _Ozpin replied, staring at the growing plume of smoke in the distance.

* * *

><p>Many thoughts went through Isager's mind as he made an effort to regain his bearing; the first being that the forest was, as he expected, dark. The treetops being so numerous that they almost completely blocked out the sunlight, a situation that switching to night vision easily rectified. The second thing he did was check to make sure his mask was working at optimal conditions, including secondary features.<p>

"_**Compass…check. Sonar…check. Oxygen filters…check. Noise cancellers…check."**_

Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, he checked his duffel bag to make sure all of his gadgets were in place and that he hadn't lost any of them. Thankfully, the duffel bag's seal hadn't budged and Isager built his devices to last.

"_**Nothing left to do but wait."**_

Not that he needed to wait long. His scroll started vibrating almost as soon as he zipped the bag back up.

"_**What's my first task?"**_

"_**There's a fire spreading through the forest, driving hordes of Grimm towards the temple.**_

"_**Am I close to the horde?"**_

"_**Very."**_

"_**Are their any first-years around me?"**_

"_**No."**_

"_**That's all I need to hear."**_

Isager reopened the bag and pulled out the 'sound bomb' and his knife and closed it again before slinging it over his shoulders. He turned on the Noise Cancellers in his mask and set the orb to the Human setting. Lastly, he sent a message to Ozpin, asking for directions to the nearest clearing.

"_**200 metres NNE."**_

The Asacc started walking, twirling the knife between his fingers to pass the time. After forcing his way through a particularly dense thicket, he found himself in a very large clearing; a large cloud of ash and smoke hung overhead blocking out the sun.

"_Deactivate."_

The speakers had barely finished retracting when the sonar started picking up readings. Dozens, possibly more than a hundred Grimm poured out of the surroundings; breeds ranging from Beowolves to Ursai to Boarbatusks. Disproportionately calm given the situation, Isager turned the Sound Bomb on again, but changed the setting.

"_Grimm."_

Though the sound wouldn't have been audible for him, he left the Noise Cancellers on as too block out the sound of pained howls. He started walking towards the Grimm, helpless to defend themselves as a result of being essentially paralysed by pain. When the foul beasts could do nothing in retaliation or even run away, he plunged his knife through the top of its skull, killing it instantly. He repeated the action on the Grimm to the side, and the next, and then the one after that.

For ten minutes this continued; with Isager executing the helpless Grimm one at a time until every single one of them was dead and had evaporated into red mist. His scroll started vibrating in his pocket again, indicating that Ozpin had sent another message.

"_**Well that's one way to do it."**_

"_**Meh, I'm not a particularly talented fighter. Besides, it's a lot easier this way."**_

"_**True. Moving on to more serious matters, there's an abnormally large Nevermore nest SW of your current position. It could be a threat to future initiations. Destroy it.**_

"_**Understood."**_

* * *

><p>"<em>Ruby! Where are we?<em>

"_Shh! You'll let them know we're here." _The younger girl screamed quietly.

"_What are you talking abou-"_

The Heiress didn't get to finish her sentence before she noticed the flock of at least two-dozen Nevermore, including one Giant one in the middle of the pack.

"_What are we doing here Ruby! You're going to get us killed!"_

"_Trust me, I know what I'm doing."_

"_Do you?!"_

"_Quiet, they'll here you!"_

"_I'm. Whispering!"_

"_Well now we're both quietly screaming!"_

One of the smaller avians stirred from it's roosting spot and glared at where the two girls were bickering, only just missing the sight of them as they darted behind a large rock. The Grimm cawed loudly, drawing the attention of the rest of its Murder.

"_Ruby." _Weiss whispered very, _very _quietly. _"This is insane, we need to get out of here. Now!"_

"_Do you trust me Weiss?"_

"_If you can get us out of this, I'll trust you all you want."_

"_Great! Stand in front of me."_

Alarm bells were already going off in Weiss' mind, filling her with the paranoid dread that Ruby would push her into the middle of the Murder. But she wouldn't do that; she was ditzy, idiotic, rash, somewhat arrogant in her combat abilities and childish…the list went on, but she wasn't a terrible person. But it was still mildly shocking when Ruby grabbed Weiss by the back of her head and neck with her hands.

"_What are you doing?"  
><em>

"_Supporting your body." _She said, as if her reasons for doing so were the most obvious things in the world.

"_Why?"_

"_Whiplash."_

"_Why-"_

Ruby activated her semblance and carried the two past the lesser Grimm and directly to the feet of the Giant Nevermore. She leapt into the air, the recoil from a bullet fired by that technical monstrosity she called 'Crescent Rose' propelling high enough into the air that they were able to latch onto it's feathers.

"_Hold on!"_ the younger girl said, taking aim at the creatures head.

"_Ruby no! Don't you dar-"_

Once again, Ruby didn't wait for Weiss to finish her sentence. Instead opting to blast the Grimm in the head. The Nevermore, infuriated by the insolence of the two, flew up into the air in the hopes that they wouldn't be able to hold on for long and would lose their grip.

* * *

><p><strong>*CAWW<strong>*****

The bone-rattling shriek of the Nevermore was enough to send Isager diving for cover. The Atlesean turned his eyes to the sky, scouting desperately for the Grimm and hoping that he hadn't been seen. As soon as the Giant Nevermore flew overhead, he breathed out a sigh of relief and continued heading towards the nest.

"_**So the Alpha decided to leave? How fortunate for me…"**_

It didn't take long to reach his destination; the lesser Grimm seemed to be rather upset about something or other. Unfortunately, they noticed him almost immediately upon his entering. They made an effort to attack him, but he activated the Sound Bomb first and, just like the previous group of Grimm, each of them was swiftly executed.

"_**The nest has been eradicated, what now?"**_

"_**Nothing as of now. I'll send you a message when something develops."**_

* * *

><p>A famous Mistral philosopher had once said 'Energy and persistence conquer all things' in the belief that as long as you continue to try, that you never give up, then no challenge or opposition could stand against you.<p>

Pyrrha bore that quote in mind as she ran from the Deathstalker that easily pushed trees and rocks aside in its pursuit of her. Her lungs burned and the lactic acid building up in her muscles made her want to just stop running for as little as a single second. But she couldn't, the Grimm would shred her if she tried to fight it, so she continued to run. Determined to let her persistence and energy win the 'battle' for her. If she kept running, she'd have to find someone else eventually.

Right?

* * *

><p>Isager walked through the forest, admiring the beauty of the forest and using his mask's sonar to avoid any potential confrontations with Grimm. It wasn't his job to fight them after all.<p>

The scroll started ringing, rather than vibrating this time indicating that it was a call.

"_**What, why?"**_

"_Why are you calling rather than texting?"_

"_Start waking to the North, I'll explain while you do."_

The dark-haired boy was confused, but followed the instructions anyway.

"_What's the target this time?"_

"_A group of eight students have attracted the attention of a Giant Nevermore as well as a Giant Deathstalker."_

Isager stopped walking out of shock, letting the Headmaster's words sink in.

"_You're kidding?"_

"_No. You might want to start running."_

The Headmaster didn't have to tell Isager twice, the Atlesean breaking into full sprint.

"_Would you like us to deploy Mourning Son?"_

"_No, it's too slow and will take too long to get out here."_

"_So what's your plan?"_

"_Drop the Sound Bomb on the floor, get all of them within the Invisibility Field and hope the Grimm won't be able to track us when the Sound Bomb runs out of power."_

"_Not the best of plans, but I wish you luck."_

"_No such thing as luck."_

Isager hung up and continued sprinting, pulling the duffel bag in front of him so he could pull out the necessary gadgets. The sonar started picking up readings again and soon enough he could hear the sound of gunfire and shattering rock in the distance. The sounds only grew louder and more intense until they were replaced with eerie silence. Fearing the worst, Isager charged through several thickets, his leather armour protecting him from cuts and scrapes. He charged into the open environment of an ancient temple and saw…

The decapitated body of a Giant Nevermore sliding down the cliff. The Deathstalker was nowhere in sight, but taking into account the destroyed buildings and ruined bridge, Isager was confident he could make an educated guess.

The Asacc recognised the four standing at the edge of the bridge as Jaune Arc, Lie Ren, Nora Valkyrie and Pyrrha Nikos. The Arc was of particular interest to Isager; his transcripts indicating that he was easily one of the most powerful and capable of the new years, as well as coming from a distinguished family. In the distance, he recognised… Ruby, Yang, Blake and Weiss.

"_**Blake and Weiss? Well, fate does have a sense of humour."**_

The soon-to-be team RWBY easily crossed the gap between the two halves of the bridge, using either an application of their weapon or their semblances. The Asacc removed his mask, to make it easier for them to recognise him.

"_Oh, it's you again!" _Yang greeted enthusiastically. Blake and Weiss visibly tensed at the prospect of being in his presence, but the two sisters seemed far more at ease.

"_What're you doing here?"_

"_I saw a Giant Nevermore flying overhead and then a Deathstalker charging through the woods at a distance. I feared the worst but you lot seem to have the situation under control."_

Isager gazed over their shoulders at the devastation wrought during the presumably epic confrontation.

"_Well, somewhat under control."_

"_**I doubt Professor Oobleck will be all too happy about that."**_

"_Heh, yeah. We made quite the mess didn't we? By the way, what're you doing out here?"_

"_**They won't be sure if you've done anything at all…"**_

"_That's classified."_

"_Ooh, mysterious." _Yang said with a purr and flirtatious wink, earning her an admonishing smack from Ruby and some sort of comment about 'corrupting'.

"_No matter. You should probably be heading back now."_

"_What about you?" _Ruby asked.

"_I'm going back into the forest for awhile, my mission isn't quite done."_

"_Alright, see you around!"_

With that closing statement, the eight first years started walking off in the direction of the rendezvous point sent to their scrolls. Isager watched them walk off, although he didn't know why.

"_**I've better things to do then stand around day dreaming."**_

The Atlesean opened his scroll and asked Ozpin if he had anything left to do, only to be informed that those eight were the only students not at the rendezvous point. With nothing left to do, Isager followed them from the shadows, hoping to avoid being drawn into conversation.

* * *

><p>It was after the ceremony, when the teams had been officially announced. Isager hadn't paid attention to any of it, but broke into the schools database later on, making a special effort to not get caught this time around, which had been successful if the lack of teachers breaking down the door to his dorm was anything to go by.<p>

Isager hadn't decorated his room much; there was a computer in one corner, a study desk in another and a 'workshop' of sorts in another, complete with all the tools he'd need to invent new gadgets, improve new ones and the like. There was also a rather large bed next to the computer corner and a window, but there was precious little else in the room otherwise.

There was a knock at the door. He checked the alarm clock on his study desk and noted that it was 7:30 PM, severely limiting the potential number of visitors. His heart beat faster out of fear that it was a teacher and that he hadn't covered his digital tracks as much as he thought he had. Thankfully, when he opened the door he recognised Blake.

"_Ms. Belladonna."_

"_Just call me Blake." _She said coldly.

"_**Not a pleasant visit then."**_

"_Very well 'Blake'. What do you want? I very much doubt you're here because I'm pleasant company."_

"_It's about my team. And Weiss."_

"_Ah yes, an ex-White Fang member on the same team as the heiress to the Schnee Dust Company. The sheer irony threatens to collapse the entire school."_

"_Exactly. You can't tell them about my past, my partner, anything!"_

"_Well I _could_. But I won't"_

"_Please! I-wait, what?"_

"_Everyone has skeletons in the closet, I won't pry. Just don't expect to keep it hidden from them forever."_

"_Thank you."_

The Faunus turned to leave, but a bony hand grabbed her shoulder and spun her around. She stared into Isager's icy white eyes and saw a mixture of curiosity and annoyance in them.

"_What?"_

"_You started begging before. Why? What did you think I'd do."_

That was a question Blake rather wouldn't answer, if only because she dreaded what his reaction would be. But what choice did she have? He'd hound her until she answered and the Faunus was almost certain that he'd notice if she was lying. With no other option available, she told the truth and hoped that his reaction wouldn't be too poor.

"_I thought you would…blackmail me."_

Blake was good at reading people and Isager was no exception. He did well to keep his emotions hidden, but he had his cracks, no matter how miniscule. From the slight frowns to the almost unnoticeable twitches of the eye, he did react negatively to certain situations, if only barely. But this was different, she expected him to be angry and that his eye would twitch and his mouth form a thin line. But instead he looked hurt by the words, genuinely hurt.

"_You really think I'm just like the rumours say I am, don't you?"_

"_Your family hasn't exactly set a good precedent."_

"_Neither has the White Fang." _he spat bitterly; his angry tone so at odds with his normal emotionless monotone that Blake flinched at the words.

"_I'll keep your secret. Just stay away from me. After all, you wouldn't want my family to hire assassins to attack you for insulting me."_

Before Blake could say anything in her defence, he slammed the door in her face. Leaving her with nothing to do but walk back to her own dorm and regret the words she spoke.


	5. A Good Nights Sleep

Isager woke up the next day, feeling incredibly disoriented. He hated going to sleep, even though three days had past before this one and he _literally _had to, he still didn't like it. His thoughts were always scrambled and incoherent and his thought process was chaotic and inconsistent. For someone who prided himself on being intelligent, it was galling to be left in such a state.

"_**Dorm...initiation…Beacon" **_

It would take at least five minutes to snap out of this state, it always did. There was a knocking at the door, but his mind didn't register that for at least ten second.

"_Come back later." _He yelled as loudly as he could be bothered before heading for the showers. He turned on the cold water at full blast and stepped in, the sudden temperature change shocked him into being awake, but his thoughts were still scattered and all over the place.

"_**What am I…going to do today?"**_

Even finding the words for such basic sentences was difficult. As much as he would begrudgingly admit that Mother _Dear's _implants were extremely useful, having to suffer such a humiliating feeling of being helpless every time he woke up was rather…agitating.

Eager to get out of the cold water, he turned the shower off and began drying himself off. His thoughts were becoming clearer now, but he could feel a sort of ache near his eye. Most likely the beginning of a migraine. Isager wearily opened the cabinet above the sink and pulled out a Topiramate container. He filled a glass with water and quickly downed a pill.

_***knock knock knock**__*****_

Still feeling tired and, by extension, frustrated, it was a lot harder to resist punching the mirror than Isager was comfortable with. The Atlesean walked over to his desk and put on his glasses before opening the door.

"_**I don't recognise this person."**_

"_Um, hello."_

"_**Faunus. No reason to be here. White Fang operative? Possible but unlikely."**_

"_Wow, you're so tall! Almost as tall as Yatsuhashi."_

"_**If she is a White Fang member, how do I take her out?"**_

"_And quiet…"_

"_**Start with brachial stun, then smash my scroll over her head. Concussion and scalp lacerations likely."**_

"_And really good at dramatic silence…"_

"_**Grab her ears and yank her off balance. Break her knees by kicking them in the sides to incapacitate strong leg muscles."**_

"_Hello? Are you okay?"_

"_**How to finish her off? Shooting her will be too conspicuous and letting her bleed out will be too slow. Neck snap would be the most efficient route."**_

"_Um, you're starting to scare me."_

Isager's body tensed up in preparation, ready to kill.

"_Sorry, lost in thought. Who are you exactly?"_

_"Oh, um, my name's Velvet. Velvet Scarlatina."_

"_**Velvet Scarlatina, member of Team CFVY, no affiliation with White Fang, has denounced their violent actions on several forums. Not a member."**_

"_Okay, and…why are you here?"  
><em>

"_I volunteered to show you around."_

"_Oh. Thank you." _The white-eyed boy said, his voice filled with doubt and hesitance.

"_You sound confused. What's wrong?"_

"_Nothing, I'm just…not used to being on the receiving end of kindness."_

"_Mate, you're preaching to the choir…"_

"_Racial intolerance?"_

"_Yeah…anyway, let's get moving."_

* * *

><p>The two set off, Velvet occasionally telling him that they were in the medical wing or the training rooms and other such things. Of course, Isager had already memorised the school's layout, but he couldn't find it in himself to turn her away. Maybe it was the fact that she constantly looked liked she was one second away from crying or maybe the fact that he'd planned to kill her in a painful and brutal manner had left him feeling somewhat guilty.<p>

"_Are you okay?"_

"_Why wouldn't I be?"_

"_You look really sick."_

"_**Urgh, not this again."**_

"_I'm fine."_

"_Are you sure? I'm a healer, I could help yo-"_

"_I'm fine." _The Atlesean responded defensively.

"_Okay, sorry for asking." _Velvet said sadly.

"_**God damnit…"**_

"_Apologies. Most people ask if I'm okay, it gets tiresome quickly. Your concern is appreciated however."_

"_Oh, I see."_

Velvet and Isager continued to tour the school, stopping by the library, the classrooms and ended with Velvet giving a class schedule. Isager looked over the classes available and noticed that he had the same classes here that he did in Atlas, minus robotics. Presumably, this meant that Beacon would be teaching the same syllabus content that he'd memorised last year.

"_**Terrific…"**_

"_Whelp, I'll see you around I guess! I gotta get to Oobleck's history class in about ten minutes."_

"_Second period? Isn't that a first-year class?"_

"_How'd you know that?"_

"_Hacked into the schools database."_

"_That was you?!"_

"_Yep."_

"_Oh wow, you know some of the teachers were preparing the third and fourth years to hunt you down before Ozpin called them off. Why would you tell me that?"_

"_Unless lives are at stake, I will never tell a lie. As for why…it's more complicated than I can adequately explain."_

"_Uh, okay. Anyway, it _is _a first year class but I'm a Teachers Assistant." _The rabbit Faunus said before an alarm on her scroll started blaring.

"_Sorry, I really have to go now. See you around mate!"_

The Asacc was too lost in thought to notice her goodbye nor did he care that she left. Truth be told, he never considered the prospect of becoming a Teacher's Assistant. After all, it's rather hard to aid a teacher when they and their students are terrified of you. But it _would _allow him to make friends while escaping the dilemma of sitting in a classroom being taught things he already knew.

* * *

><p>Ozpin gazed out his window, taking in the beautiful view while he waited for General Ironwood to call him. He liked looking out the window, his view easily granting him sight of most of Vale. It reminded him of what was at stake and why he and his staff and students fought so hard to protect the increasingly fragile peace.<p>

The holo-screen flickered into life, the General standing there with his trademark smile. Ozpin stepped away from the window and sat down in his chair, pouring himself a cup of coffee.

"_Ozpin! How are you?"_

"_Quite well general."_

"_Good to here. Moving on to the business at hand, your students have passed our entrance exam with flying colours and have integrated extraordinarily well."_

"_That's good to hear."_

_I thought it might be, considering Isager probably hasn't fitted in nearly as well."_

"_What makes you say that?"_

"_Call it a hunch." _The General deadpanned.

"_Well, he's hacked into our database, annoyed Glynda within seconds of meeting her, displayed a casual disregard for authority and, if security footage is anything to go by, he's managed to form a sour relationship with a first year student. So no, not the best first impression."_

Ironwood sighed wearily, his normally perfect posture slouching ever so slightly.

"_Why did you send him here? He doesn't strike me as an ideal candidate."_

Ironwood pulled up a chair from off-screen and sat down with a groan. The General reached into his jacket, pulled out a metal flash and took a long swig.

"_Regardless of which side he's on, he's still an Asacc; he's cold, apathetic, has no respect for authority and very skewered concepts of privacy and freedom. So when he first came to me seeking refuge, I thought this would be an opportunity for him to move past these…traits and become a better person."_

"_But…"_

"_The staff and students, unsurprisingly, wanted nothing to do with him. I figured that sending him to a school where most people wouldn't know about his family would be good for him."_

"_It's only been two days out of a year general, I'm sure he'll do fine."_

Ozpin's scroll started vibrating in his pocket. The Headmaster opened the device and narrowed his eyes when he saw that the message was from Isager.

"_Although, the fact that he's calling me on my personal scroll rather than by business one is a little concerning."_

Ozpin read the message several times, weighing the pros and cons of every possible outcome; unable to decide whether or not this would be a success or a total disaster.

"_What is it Oz?"_

"_Isager wants to become a TA. You know him better than I do, so it's your choice."_

"_Well it won't end as poorly as putting him in a classroom. I doubt that he'll be able to get away with daydreaming and not copying down notes when the teachers aren't terrified of them."_

"_Fair point."_ Ozpin responded, sending a message to Isager that he would be allowed to TA for several first year classes. When he was done, the Headmaster set his scroll aside his scroll and took a long drink out of his cup.

"_I have the strangest felling that we just made a horrible mistake."_

"_Heh, you and me both Oz."_


	6. A Sinister Warning

The weeks rolled by at Beacon and Blake began to feel more and more ill at ease. She and her team had been informed via scroll message that Isager had finished training to become a Teacher's Assistant and would be appearing in several of their classes, along with the typical 'exchange student, be welcoming and show him around' spiel.

It wasn't that Blake distrusted him as such; he seemed genuinely hurt by her comments and he seemed earnest in his claims that he was different. But Blake had it drilled into her from a young age that a little caution and paranoia went a long way in keeping oneself alive. So every couple of days or so, she would make a trip into Vale and visit her favourite cafes and read up on the Asacc family, be it online or literary. She couldn't do it in the library; the staff would take notice of her activities and have her questioned.

"_**And I can get some peace and quiet." **_She thought to herself. She really did like her teammates, even Weiss wasn't so bad once you got past the icy exterior, but all three of them were loud and prone to arguments, especially Weiss and Yang. So some quiet time to herself was very enjoyable, even if she was in the middle of something important.

The Cat Faunus turned her attention back to the website open in front of her, 'The History of Atlas' it was called, she was currently reading the section about the divided factions of Atlas and information on the most powerful and prominent ones. After a few seconds of scrolling, she found the 'faction' that she was looking for.

_**The Asacc Family**_

_The Asacc family stand as something of an oddity in the political climate of Atlas; while many of the more powerful groups are often household names (such as the SDC) and the rumours of their shadier practices are well known, the Asacc family is mostly unknown outside of the Mantle. But their name carries far more meaning and influence then most others, despite their obscurity outside of Atlas._

_A wealthy family, the Asacc's was already considered to be one of the more dangerous factions in Atlas, surrounded by rumours of Industrial Espionage and Bribery of Government officials that many _corporations _were accused of. But what made the Asacc's stand out was the alarming tendency of anyone who criticised them to disappear and, although many people were quick to make connections, no evidence has ever been found to confirm those theories._

_This changed one day when Carmine Miller, a popular political blogger was hospitalised and placed in critical care due to what Doctors have stated was 'a serious Burn Dust accident'. The doctors treating him were quoted saying that recovery was highly unlikely but, thankfully, Carmine survived and shockingly stated that the Asacc family had sabotaged the Dust-Powered devices in his home. The media and the public swooped in on the case but no evidence was ever found that could prove the Asacc's guilty._

_However, DNA samples of Sophia Kirkness, a rival blogger, were found on the scene of the crime. When questioned, Sophia stated that it was obviously a set up by the Asacc family to make her look guilty. Again, no evidence was found, but the judge presiding over the case was convinced of the Asacc Family's involvement and pardoned Sophia, to the shock of the entire Kingdom._

_Although his peers swiftly condemned Judge Nightshade's actions as the evidence against Sophia was overwhelming. Even though Nightshade was tripped of his rank following the scandal, this started a new trend among the criminal, political and corporate elements of Atlas. Critics of the Asacc Family became a universal target for every murderer in the city and the perpetrators have been quoted saying that they were being framed while Political Parties, Councilmen Candidates, Military Generals and Company CEO's have excused their more controversial decisions by playing the victim and stating that the Asacc family has blackmailed them into making those decisions for their own purposes._

_While the general public was convinced almost immediately and the many judges where themselves convinced of the family's guilt, the Asacc family remained unpunished as it was proven several times that their accusers were lying and that the Asacc's had nothing to do with the crimes whatsoever. However, several disturbing trends began to crop up after the initial surge had died down; people who criticised the Asacc's would eventually have a falling out with someone close to them. The next day, they would be found murdered and the evidence would point towards the one they had an argument with, almost exactly like the case between Carmine and Sophia. Although many people still suspect that the Asacc's are guilty, blaming them was no longer a valid excuse and the 'murderers' were swiftly incarcerated._

_This wave of death has shown no effort of slowing down and there are several signs that they are becoming even more drastic; simply saying the Asacc name in any negative context has become a death sentence and whereas the victims used to always be civilians, now even high ranking corporate executives, military personnel and politicians have been among the most recent victims. Only the Schnee Dust Company and large criminal syndicates are immune to the attacks, but who knows how long it will be until they too are forced to censor themselves at the whims of the Asacc Family?_

_**Edit: this part of the website was written by Ashen Literatures, a book and magazine publisher owned by the Schnee Dust Company. Sadly, one month after this section was published, a pack of Beowolves was released into the publisher's main office. There were no survivors. Although the Asacc family was initially blamed for the attack, the White Fang posted a video on Dustnet taking credit for the attack within the week.**_

The yellow-eyed girl scowled as she read, it was one of her dearly held beliefs that everyone should be free, to make their own decisions and opinions. Those that forced their beliefs on others and stripped them of free will were the vilest people in the world as far as she was concerned.

"_Hello there." _A stranger said in a friendly tone as he sat down opposite the dark-haired girl. She didn't even bother to look up, more concerned with the fact that the computer she'd rented had suddenly stopped working. She heard similar complaints from those around her, so perhaps it was a power-outage.

"_Pleasant weather, don't you think?"_

This wasn't the first time someone had tried flirting with her, but despite her frustrations, Blake was still a polite person. She'd always tried to let them down gently by making it clear she wasn't interested in conversation.

"_Indeed." _The Faunus said in a disinterested tone.

"_Might I ask what you were reading?"_

Something about his voice was…off. His manner of speech was rather wordy compared to modern standards and every word was drawn out, slow enough that it was noticeably unusual but not so much that it impacted on the conversation. It was somewhat off putting, but it would most likely be rude to bring it up.

"_The History of Atlas, family section."_

"_An interesting choice. Are you a businesswoman? Or perhaps a diplomat?"_

"_**Hmm, persistent."**_

"_No, I'm actually a Huntress-In-Training."_

Mentioning her current 'occupation' normally drove most of them away. Hunters tended to draw a certain amount of awe and hero-worship. It made most people incredibly unworthy, as if they weren't worthy of so much as being in their presence. It wasn't a feeling Blake liked encouraging, but she wanted to be alone right now.

"_Hmm, that's probably for the best. I don't think you'd make a good diplomat."_

"_**How rude…" **_Blake thought to herself, annoyed with what she assumed was an insult.

"_After all, home invasions don't tend to make great first impressions."_

Blake looked up in confusion and froze in shock. The stranger was dressed in a black suit and tie with a white shirt underneath that just barely contained a very muscular physique. His hair was close-shaven and he wore sunglasses over his eyes. However, his most prominent features were his height and his skin; he was so incredibly tall that Blake's eyes only came up to the lower part of his chest and his skin was incredibly pale, similar in colour to Weiss.

Needless to say, Blake was in a very dangerous situation.

"_There's a park nearby, will discuss things there."_

"_And what If I refuse?"_

"_What makes you think I'm letting you make a choice?"  
><em>

She could try to run, but he'd managed to track her down well enough and she very much doubted he'd be forgiving if he caught up with her again. Blake reluctantly pocketed her scroll and stood up, allowing the stranger to usher her out the door.

* * *

><p>"<em>This seems a good a place as any, I suppose. Will be able to talk her without interruption." <em>He said as he dragged the Faunus by the arm into a dense cluster of trees and rocks.

"_Let's get the obvious out of the way first, you know who I am. Yes?"_

"_You're an Asacc" _Blake growled through gritted teeth.

"_Good. I see all that research wasn't a waste of time. You may call me Phthalo."_

The dark-haired girl glared at Phthalo with a look that could cow even the most dangerous and long-lived Grimm. The taller man for his part didn't seem to care, or even notice the hateful glare and continued to speak.

"_I'll get to the point, given the history between my family, the White Fang and Isager's transfer, I doubt that your research is benign in nature."_

"_I'm not a White Fang anymore."_

"_Regardless of your current affiliation, I'm afraid I must ask you to cease and desist."_

His voice was calm, but he straightened his posture to his full 7'0 height and looked down at Blake in an attempt to look intimidating. The Faunus took a step back and dropped into a combat stance, partially leaning against the rock behind her so that she could spring of it at a moments notice.

"_No, I'm not going to let yo-"_

Phthalo's hand slammed into the space next to her head, leaving a fist-sized dent and several large cracks in the hardened stone. The golden-eyed Faunus flinched reflexively, but refused to be cowed by this display of force.

"_In your defence, you haven't done anything wrong...as such. So I'm willing to offer you a choice; you can either stop researching matters that do not concern you…or die."_

"_Not much of a choice." _Blake said bitterly.

"_We operate on a strict zero-tolerance policy. Most people don't even get this. You should be grateful."_

"_And why am I getting a choice?"_

Phthalo's normally impassive and emotionless face twitched upward, forming a fond smile. This expression only lasted a split second before it was gone, replaced with the same expressionless mask he wore so very well.

"_Despite what you may think, we still care for our wayward brother _very_ dearly. I'm aware that you and he have interacted to a degree and that he's made something of an alliance with Ms. Schnee. I'm entrusting the two of you with his safety."_

"_Why would we do that?"_

"_Because your lives are dependent on it. If anything happens to him, I'll know whom to blame. But, if you need a little more motivation..."_

He leaned in very close to the Faunus, his head beside hers so that he could whisper in her ear. She could feel his breath tickling her ear and his large form pressed her up against the rock.

"_If any harm comes upon him, we will destroy everything you love in this world. _EVERYTHING_! We will kill your teammates, Adam, your other old friends in the White Fang, your favourite authors, anything that you care for in this world we will strip from you. And we will leave you alive until we are finished, just long enough to know that this could've been avoided if only you had co-operated before we grant you the sweet release of death._

The Asacc pulled away from Blake, raising an eyebrow as he watched the Faunus's body trembled with unbridled fury. Satisfied that his message was adequately received, Phthalo brushed the grains of rock of his fist and started walking way.

"_Have a lovely day Ms. Belladonna. And do try to stay out of our affairs, it won't end well for you."_

Blake watched the suit-wearing man leave, her hands clenched so tightly that her nails broke the skin on her palms. The golden-eyed girl waited until she had calmed down before sprinting in the direction Phthalo had left, paying no heed to the slight trickle of blood running down her hands.

She spotted him easily in the crowd, his height making him stand out clearly amongst the dozens of people walking down the street. The huntress-in-training jumped off her semblance-created clones, easily scaling the building within seconds.

Blake followed his movements easily, wondering how a member of a family who had never left behind any evidence for their crimes could be so careless as to make sure he wasn't being followed. Perhaps they were confident that their reputation would dissuade everyone from even trying.

"_**It would probably work to." **_

Whatever the reason, following him was far easier than she expected it to be. She mildly surprised when he took a turn and started walking down the…'shadier' side of town. Unsurprisingly, a mugger stepped out of an alley and pointed a knife at his chest. Phthalo simply grippe the thugs hands and squeezed until is would-be mugger dropped to his knees and started walking away again. Blake could see fro here that his hand had been completely shattered, the bones warped and deformed and bone fragments had shred his muscles and skin.

"_**Oh Gods…"  
><strong>_

The Faunus briefly considered stopping to help, but he was bleeding out incredibly quickly and the nearest hospital would easily be 30 minutes away. He was beyond saving. At least she could avenge him by bringing Phthalo to justice.

Thankfully, he didn't have much further to walk and within minutes; Phthalo entered an incredibly large building, probably an abandoned factory of some sorts. The Faunus pulled out her scroll and rang up Weiss. True to form, it didn't take long for the heiress to answer.

"_Blake? Where are you? We haven't scene you all morning!"_

"_Now's not the time. Do you know where I store Gambol Shroud?"_

"_Locker 1991?"_

"_Yeah, the code is 1113. I'm going to send you my co-ordinates. Grab my weapon and meet me here."_

"_Why? What's going on?"_

Blake steeled herself mentally, unable to fully believe the insanity of what she was about to attempt. Still, if she pulled this off, she would be doing the world a massive favour.

"_I'm going to kill an Asacc."_


End file.
